The only assurance Bill Joyce could offer his audience was his belief that America's open door won't be closed.

"I think you should be hopeful," the Boston attorney told about 40 people during a forum at the Community Action Committee of Cape Cod and Islands Tuesday. "There are better days ahead for immigrants."

But it was the present days that brought people with questions to the session sponsored by Project HOPE (Harmonic Outreach Project Educators), a joint effort by Cape Cod Healthcare and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Project manager Camila Monteiro, who said she hears many tales of immigrants giving (and losing) their money to attorneys and others who promise to handle their paperwork but instead expose them to INS scrutiny, was aware of Joyce's work and his former service as an immigration judge.

Joyce, whose remarks were transcribed in Portuguese and Spanish (copies are available by calling 508-771-1727), urged people to "sit tight" and wait for Congress to resolve the debate over programs that would naturalize people who have been in the country illegally for a certain period. He urged them not to walk into an immigration station to check on their status, as he's known some folks who weren't allowed to walk out.

"Unfortunately, since 9/11 here in the United States, the situation has become substantially worse for immigrants," Joyce said. "If you listen to some conservative politicians or talk radio hosts, you would think that every immigrant is a terrorist, when in fact I don't think they've ever found any immigrant who turned out to be a terrorist."

Joyce tried to calm fears of a mass deportation if Congress takes a hard line. "It's not a solution or even feasible to arrest and remove 12 million people from the United States," he said.

So what's to do? Well, Joyce said, everyone's situation is different. Some people are here having overstayed a tourist visa. "That's different than someone who walked over the border or crossed a river," he said.

Joyce reminded his listeners that, even though they're not full-fledged citizens, they do have rights. "Immigration has no right to come into your house without a warrant," he said. "You don't have to let them in." He added, "They're not really terrible people."

Anyone arrested who does not have an outstanding deportation order is entitled to bail, said Joyce, who noted that "a lot of people freak out" and sign the papers that ensure their expulsion from the U.S.

"I do think Cape Cod is severely underserviced as far as good, competent legal help," Joyce said, "and a bad lawyer is worse than no lawyer."